Plus, Shudder's psychological thriller 'Influencer' and the grim Russian drama 'Unclenching the Fists.'
One of the wonders — and horrors — of our modern social media age is that some decades-old regional rituals and traditions have been turned into miniature reality TV shows, shared online with millions of people worldwide who may not always understand the context for what they’re watching.documentary “Bama Rush” was inspired in part by the fascination on TikTok with the complicated process by which the University of Alabama’s sororities select new members.
Fleit makes herself a character in her film occasionally, talking about how her own challenges — as a woman with alopecia, who wore a wig throughout her youth to fit in — perhaps makes her more attuned to how badly these young women crave acceptance. She follows four freshmen in particular, some of whom hire professional consultants and maintain thick organizational binders to maximize their potential success. It’s a unique challenge: to be “themselves” within acceptably conformist parameters.
Fleit acknowledges that the rumors about her documentary made many Alabama students too paranoid to participate. Despite the big freeze, she gets a lot of honest insights both from current sorority sisters and alumni, who talk about the downsides of this culture — like body-image issues, a history of racism and sexism, and the ominous interventions of a super-secret society known as “the Machine” — along with the benefits of lifelong friendships, community service and social advantages.
Harder and his co-writer Tesh Guttikonda give each of these people their turn at being the protagonist, but it’s not always clear which of them is the antagonist. As they meet — not always by chance — each is superficially friendly but hiding an agenda. Madison wants to tap into CW’s worldly authenticity for her feed. Jessica wants to bask in CW’s fake adoration. CW wants to leech off Madison and Jessica’s luxurious lifestyles.
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